chronic illness – Eating Vegan with Crohn's Disease

Setbacks

My trainer and coach both love to tell me that progress isn’t linear. As a person who started taking fitness seriously in middle age, this has been a rock fact for me, not a lesson I needed drilled into me. But I wanted to add some clarity for what setbacks look like for someone inContinue reading “Setbacks”

How does one “Feel Better?”

With Crohn’s disease, when you start feeling like shit you know you are in for the long haul. Crohn’s is a Victorian wasting disease where the only remedies are hot pads, cold compresses, and moving to the mountains where the air is less tubercular. Except it’s 2025 and you can’t buy morphine or heroin overContinue reading “How does one “Feel Better?””

Pain

Two nights ago I experienced what I think may have been the worst pain of my life. Following a very high stress week, like crying at work, the students can tell something is wrong stress, like your elderly parents and disabled brother are living in filth with mouse shit all over their kitchen and onlyContinue reading “Pain”

Reverse Engineered EEN Smoothie

To approximate food like Modulen or Kate Farms medical meal replacement shakes, I made this smoothie. I drink two of these a day currently, in addition to 3-4 Kate farms shakes. The Kate farms micronutrient profile hits all essential vitamins and minerals at 3-4 shakes a day. My last meal of the day is yogurtContinue reading “Reverse Engineered EEN Smoothie”

Flare #5

Begins in fits and starts. After two weeks of creeping symptoms I start blending my food. Lentil soup for lunch all of week 3. Definitely brought on by work stress. Thursday of week 3 is a low point, 6 BMS and a bad headache, I went home from work early that day. Same day IContinue reading “Flare #5”

Blended breakfast

I’ve had some creeping Crohn’s symptoms so trying to stave them off with blended foods. The aim is gut rest and nutrition for healing. Blended breakfast: Blend until smooth. Basically it’s a hearty oatmeal breakfast with no chewing or gut effort. Also super yummy! This is based on an almond date lhassi I had inContinue reading “Blended breakfast”

Fit in my 40s update

It’s been about two months since I have reframed my thinking about fatigue, chronic illness, and fitness. My therapist has been very helpful in reinforcing my new mindset, as well as looking at the scientific evidence of my recent colonoscopy, which shows no signs of inflammation. With my Crohn’s and Hashimoto’s medically managed, I shouldContinue reading “Fit in my 40s update”

To be fit in my 40s

I am trying some things this winter to beat the sunless, warmthless doldrums. I read a memoir by a woman who healed from chronic fatigue syndrome. Parts of it seemed like sound advice. Parts of it seemed like real wellness influencer film flam (like starting and ending the book with Rachel Hollis quotes). I won’tContinue reading “To be fit in my 40s”

Exercise: it helps fatigue!

One of my favorite activities to do when I can’t do anything because I have crippling fatigue is to read websites about what will help my fatigue. Many of these websites list exercise as a practical way to boost energy and mood. So… I want to just clarify that for me, fatigue means I’m incapableContinue reading “Exercise: it helps fatigue!”

Fatigued AF

I have a fun cluster of chronic illnesses that all lead to me being fatigued at this time of year. I can’t wake up in the morning. I often have a headache or nausea right when I wake up, but that eventually goes away. I have difficulty concentrating and have brain fog in the morning.Continue reading “Fatigued AF”